News » Missouri Valley College

Marshall, Mo. (August 3, 2015)- The Missouri Valley College football team was picked to finished No. 2 in the new Heart of America Athletic Conference Southern Division. The 2015 Preseason Heart of America Athletic Conference Coaches’ Division Poll was released Monday before the Heart Media Dayin Olathe, Kan.

Missouri Valley received 46 points in the division poll, including one first place vote. The Vikings finished three points behind MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) University, which received four first place votes and 49 points. Baker (Kan.) University was picked to finish third with one first place vote and 43 points. Evangel (Mo.) University came in at No. 4, followed by Central Methodist (Mo.) University at No. 5 and Avila (Mo.) University picked last in the Heart Southern Division. Grand View (Iowa) University was picked to win the Heart Northern Division with four first place votes and 49 total points.

The Heart will split up into two six-team divisions beginning with the 2015 season after the additions of Grand View and William Penn (Iowa) University that expanded the conference to 12 teams . All teams in the Heart will play each other during the regular season, but each division winner will receive an automatic berth into the NAIA FCS based on records against conference opponents.

The Missouri Valley football team enters the 2015 season after winning a fourth-straight Heart championship, playing in a fourth-straight NAIA Football Championship Series and finishing with a 9-3 overall record in 2014. The Vikings are currently ranked No. 8 in the latest edition of the NAIA Football Coaches’ Top 25 Poll.

The Vikings return a number of starters from last year’s team, including a pair of 2014 Second Team All-Conference selections; Senior Offensive Lineman Zavon Moore (Grandview, Mo.) and Sophomore Jake King (Blue Springs, Mo.) who both attended Media Day Monday.

“We are looking forward to getting the 2015 season started,” said Football Head Coach Paul Troth. “We have some good veteran leadership coming back, and with the addition of two new programs, the Heart is going to be a very competitive conference from top to bottom in each division.”

Missouri Valley will open its 2015 season at home August 29 against No. 18 William Penn (Iowa) University at 6 p.m., at Gregg-Mitchell Field. The Vikings will also play three Nationally televised games during the regular season. The games will be broadcast Nationally on ESPN 3 and in the Kansas City, Mo., television market on KSMO-TV. Those games take place Sept. 5 at home against Graceland (Iowa) University, Sept. 12 at No. 18 Benedictine (Kan.) College and Oct. 3 at Culver-Stockton (Mo.) College. All televised games have an 11 a.m., kickoff.

Marshall, Mo. (August 10, 2015)- The Missouri Valley College football team is ranked No. 9 in the 2015 NAIA Football Coaches' Preseason Top 25 Poll released Monday. The Vikings have now been ranked in 117 consecutive coaches' polls, the second longest active streak in the NAIA.

The Viking football program is coming off a 2014 season that included a 9-3 overall record, a fourth-straight Heart of America Athletic Conference championship and a fourth-straight appearance in theNAIA Football Championship Series. Missouri Valley advanced to the quarterfinal round of the FCS for the third-straight year and finished No. 8 in the final 2014 coaches’ poll.

Last week, the Vikings were picked to finish second in the Heart of America Athletic Conference South Division, behind MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) University. Grand View (Iowa) University was picked to finish atop the conference’s North Division. The Heart will be divided into two six-team divisions beginning with the 2015 season.

Other Heart teams ranked in the preseason poll include No. 8 MidAmerica Nazarene, No. 15 Baker (Kan.) University and No. 25 Benedictine (Kan.) College. New conference members Grand View (Iowa) University and William Penn (Iowa) University are ranked No. 6 and No. 19 respectively.

The Missouri Valley football team opened practice for the 2015 season Monday, and will play its first regular season game August 29, at home against William Penn at 6 p.m.